Tennis team expects more medals

Jensen Bascome expects more success for Bermuda’s tennis players at this year’s Island Games.

A veteran of three Games, and with three golds in his trophy cabinet, Bascome has been given the honour of being the country’s flag-bearer at Saturday’s opening ceremony.

And while the 33-year-old is undeniably proud, he knows it’s just the prelude to when the serious action gets under way on Sunday at the WER Joell Tennis Stadium.

And he says the recent tough Davis Cup trip to Bolivia, where Bermuda lost all their games, will serve as added motivation.

He told the Bermuda Sun: “Team-wise we are looking pretty good and preparing well. I’ve been fighting a little bit of sickness but I will be fit and raring to go when the time comes.

“I’ve working on a few things the last couple of weeks. We’ve just come back from Bolivia from playing the Davis Cup and I was fighting a few things personally and it was a bit frustrating from a tennis point of view. But it kind of gave me extra motivation coming back to know there is another big international event coming up.”

Bascome will join forces with Gavin Manders once again and will look to repeat their medal exploits of the past Games.

After also winning  doubles golds with Andy Bray twice — Bascome remains bullish of the host island’s chances.

He said: “Without knowing who is coming from the other islands it is difficult to say but we fared fairly well in the past few years.

“The last two or three years we have got the silver in the team competition.

“The last time me and Gavin Manders were in Championship tie-breakers — so we’ve always fared well and I don’t see why that should change this year.”

So is he dreaming of a fourth Island Games gold?

“It would be a nice landmark,” he says.,“but I’m just going to take it one match at a time and prepare well. A point here or there is usually the difference and it doesn’t get easier but I’m definitely raring to go.”